PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1889.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8573, 10 September 1889, Page 2

PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1889.

■ —» Man, unlike the fox in the fable, is but seldom warned by the mistakes made by others. This is especially observable when they attempt to legislate for the Government of a oouatry. Ia Franoe about a century ago a few Frenohmen imagined that a few written sheets of paper were only requisite to uiake a peifect constitntion, which the people would immediately consent to live under ; but it was fonnd that something stronger than a few clauaeß were required to make the people united and of one way of thinking. The constitution of a country to be of any good mast be the growth of ages—having for its basis a form of Government simple in extreme, but fitted to the requirements of the people who have to conform to the laws. The New Zealand constitution when created was well euited to the circumstances ef' the ooloay. A number of isolated settlements had been formed, and to each was gianted the powers of a petty state, with a General Assembly of two Houses to make laws to prevent the legislation of the province clashing with each others enaotments. Ia bringing the C«mtitatioa Act into foroe, however, a mistake waa made by the Governor not calling tbe General Assembly t together before the Provinces were inaugurated ; and from this caaae the whole of the misgovernment whioh has since ensued has arisen. It should also have been rendered impossible to alter tbe boundaries or to create new provinces, thus making the communities mould themselves to the distriots instead of •Itoring the district to suit the few. Whan the provinces were abolished another mistake was made in not doing the work in a perfect manner. Only part of the machinery was abandoned, for the Rotd Boards, which were created by the Provincial Governments, were allewed to carry on their work as usual. A County Act, hewever, was passed, and County Counoile and Road Boards have ever since been clashing. A Committee of the House daring the session his been sitting to consider this question, and l«st week biOßght up a report, but we doubt if the suggestions, if carried into effect, will in any way improve matters ; in fact, to attempt to make the changes proposed would be the means of throwing the Government of the colony into the greatest confusion. The new form of Government, suggested by the Committee of the House, is framed with the object of amalgamating many of the present looal bodies, aad the creation of a central power which would i ba formed of members nominated by the County and 3orough Councils, much in the same way as tbe Hospital Bourd is now constituted. The following are the chief points of the system recommended by tbe Committee :—: — (1) Decentralisation ; (2) reduction in number of local bodies ; (3) a definite and fixed relation between the finance of the General Government and that of the local bodies ; (4) the establiahment of local districts, with elective governing bodies ; the districts to be comparatively few in number and to be defined* with due regard to the interests of the community and the natural features of the country. The four large cities of the colony, with their suburbs, to bo made separate districts, and the remainder of the colony to consist of not more than sixteen districts ; (5) the constitution of local Counoils by election by the Borough and County Counoils for Road Boards where the Counties Act is not in force within each district, with a provision that the Governor-in-Oouncil may, where necessary, alter for the purposes of such election only the boundaries of any Borough, County, or Road Board district. We fear that this system would not work well. Something still simpler is required ; Instead of creating new bodies, the present ones should be utilised, and all not required abolished.